Dancing toy



Jan. 5, 1954 R. H. TURNER 2,664,668

DANCING TOY Filed July 2, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR'. RAYMOND H. TURNER BY 2 v ATTORNEYS Jan. 5, 1954 R. H. TURNER 2,664,668

\ DANCING TOY Filed July 2, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

An I im J l2 Q/- owj FIG. 4. /f

e J- ll 5 4 5 INVENTOR: RAYMOND TURNER www1/LAW n" BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 5, 1954 *if UNITED STATES'- assises I DANCING rror Raymond H. Turner,- St. Louis, Mo.

Application July 2, 1949, Serial No. 102,840 1 claim. (o1. ifs-137) This invention relates to dancing toys and particularly to dancing toys having a iiexible stage and a dancing ligure suspended above the stage by the operator. Dancing toys heretofore constructed have used paddle-like members to be clamped to a table or sat upon, or box-like stages over which figures were xedly suspended and which were made to oscillrte by impressing motion directly on the platform. Dancing figures heretofore made have generally been equipped with fiat shoe members, so constructed that the contact between platform and shoe was practically entirely at the toe end of the shoe.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a dancing toy with an improved stage providing a rest for the arm of the operator and a more sensitive action.

Another object is to provide an articulated dancing figure having a more life-like action.

Further objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of one form of stage showing the position of the operators arm and the mode of suspending the drncing figure.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the stage shown in Figure l; 1

Figure 3 is a side view illustrating another embodiment of this invention;

Figure 4 is a side view illustrating still another embodiment of this invention;

Figure 5 is a side view illustrating still another embodiment of this invention, showing a com pound platform;

Figure 6 is a side view illustrating still another embodiment of this invention; l

Figure 7 is a section through l-l of Figure 5 showing the construction of one embodiment of compound platform;

Figure a is a section through 8-8 of Figure 6, showing another embodiment of compound platform; v

Figure gis a front View showing the articulated leg members of the dancing ligure;

Figure is a side View of a lower leg member of Figure 9 showing the terminal shoe member.

According to an illustrative embodiment of this invention, a stage is provided having a base to which a flexible member long enough to support the forearm of the operator and to allow the operators fingers to rest thereon, is attached. The unattached end of the flexible member is provided with a platform. The platform may be derived from the flexible member alone or it may be a compound platform with an intermediate resilient 2 composition such as cork or rubber, either solid or in such form, as strips or islandsj as to leave a portion of the intermediate space open, and an upper resonant platform member of wood, plastic, metal or the like. The dancing figure to be suspended above the platform by the operator is provided With articulated legs terminating in shoelike members which are designed to make contact with the platform with both the heel and toe portions when the flexible member is caused to oscillate by the operator, the toe portion striking the platform slightly more frequently than the heel portion when the figure is suspended in a vertical' position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, andiv more particularly to Figure 1, I designates a flex-Y ible member. The free end of flexible member I provides a simple platform 2. The opposite end of flexible member I is attached to supporting members 3. In the embodiments shown in Fig-` ures 3, 5 and 6, supporting members 3 are attached to lower base member 4. As shown in Figures 5 8, compound platform 5 is composed of simple platform 2, resilient intermediate member or members e, and upper member 1.

The resilient intermediate members 6 may be of any suitable material. Rubber may be used to produce a lively action'. A solid sponge member reduces the sound. Cork has been found exceptionally useful in the hollow compound platform, giving a springy action and supporting the upper platform member 'I securely. The arrangement of the intermediate members is subject to many modifications. Strips may be used to enclose 2, 3 or 4 sides of the simple platform. Interior strips may be used, or supporting islands disks or springs may be employed.

In all of the lembodiments shown, the length of the flexible member I is sufficient so that the forearm of the operator may rest thereon and be supported by the supporting members 3, and the nngers of the operator may at the same time rest upon the flexible member I, short of the platform. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, further support for the forearm of the operator is provided by an extension of the flexible member I rearwardly of supporting members 3 and joining with base member 4. In this embodiment, the flexible member I and base member 4 may be formed in one piece or be made separately. The forwardly extending section of base member 4 in this embodiment extends beyond the stages center of gravity and hence renders the stage very stable. The step-like members on the base member in Figure 6 serve to enhance the appearance of the device and at the same time contribute weight to the base member. The supporting members 3 may, of course, be enclosed at each side.

Dancing figure 8 is suspended above the platform by rod 9, as shown in Figure 1. Referring now to Figures 9 and 10, leg members I0 and Il of dancing figure 8 are tapered at their upper ends I E and provided with counter-sunk holes I2, which may be bushed with metal. Lower leg member I I termina-tes in shoe member I 3, having a heel portion It and toe portion I5.

Heel portion I li and toe portion I of shoe I3 are shaped and proportioned to permit both porf tions to engage the oscillating platform, as shown in Figure l, with a slight preponderance of engagement with the toe portion. In orderbest to accomplish this it has been found that the heel portion, shaped as shown in Figure l0, should constitute on the order of 40% of the total length of the shoe member 'along its base.

In operation, the dancing gure 8 is suspended by the operator above platform 2 by means of rod es iliustrated in Figure l. The other arm of the operator rests upon the section of the dex-- ible member I supported by the members 3 while the operators fingers rest lightly and naturally i on the fiexible member toward its free or platform end, though not on the platform itseli When the fiexible member is tapped lightly with the fingers platform 2 immediately begins to oscilalate, making contact with the -gure's shoe members I3 both at toe I and heel Ivi, causing the iigure to dance in a life-like manner. The countersunk joints I2 and tapered ends l5 oi the leg members allow suicient side play to increase this life-like appearance and to allow a greater variety of motion than is otherwise possible. Variations in the dancing may be obtained by increasing and ,decreasingr the tempovand force of the. operators tapping, by varying the distance above the platform at which the gurefis held, and by inf clining the figure, somewhat from the vertical, from back. to front and side to side.. When a come pound platform is used, the action of the.` figure is even more life-lilac and vigorous.` Y

A support may be'p'lacedv under theY platform when the device is not in use to relieve any strain. which otherwisev will, be present in flexible member Il The` embodiment of thek member illustrated in Figures lv and 2 is, of cou-rse, the most simple, lightest and cheapest construction in which sepa-- rate supporting members are used. @n the other hand there isa tendency for; such a stage to creep shown in Figures. 4i and 5, but toa` less extent4V since the tendency of the exible member to.A

spring in the spacey between-the supporting members is reduced. In the construction shown in Figure 6, the diiiiculties encountered with the other constructions are completely eliminated. The forwardly extending base member renders the stage completely self supporting. In the light of the present disclosure it is clear that the base members of the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 5 may also be extended forwardly to stabilize the stage.

A dancing toy is thus provided with a simple, sturdy stable stage Which provides a convenient support for the arm of the operator, but which is sensitive to light tapping and to slight variations in tapping force and tempo; and with a dancing gure, the construction of the leg and feet members of which is such that a great variety of lifeelile motions are imparted.

It is obvious that the invention is capable of various modifications Without departing from the spirit of the invention, as for example, the contouring of the dancing :ligure to conform to the body contours of a human being or variations in supporting members' 3, base members 4', or intermediate resilient members Having thus described the invention, whatl is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A stage for a dancing figure having feet, said stage. being' manipulatable by a human operator, comprising, a base consisting of spaced supporting members, and a flexible member mounted on and projecting from said base and provided with a platform at its free end, the said base being of a length sufficient to support the elbow and a part of thev forearm of the operator and' the projection of said flexible member beyond the' base being suilicient to permit' the' operator to tap the exible member with one hand While suspending the ii'gure above and with its feet touching the plat-form, said piatform comprising a lower plane member formed from the said dexible member, intermediate discontinuous resilient supporting membersr and an upper plane member of resonant material.

RAYMOND I-I. TURNER..

References Cited in the file of this patent STATES PATENTS 

